Cut and Run 5 - Armed and Dangerous

downstairs, there’s a ghost walk that begins at eight o’clock a few blocks away, and the young lady at the front desk is unnaturally friendly. I believe her to be a clone of some sort.”
    Ty pinched the bridge of his nose, as if desperately trying to keep himself from shooting Julian where he stood.
    Cameron thumped Julian’s arm. “You’re not helping.”
    “That’s all we found out,” Julian said with a shrug. “There’s a great deal of construction in town. And it’s been a while since I’ve been here, so it will take me some time to orient myself. I’m afraid I was confounded when I arrived at Nestor’s shop to find that it was no longer Nestor’s shop. He’s moved location, and while I did find the new building and leave him a message, it will be morning before we hear anything from him.”
    “Morning. Great,” Ty said as he stood.
    “We could all do with a night to sleep,” Zane said.
    “I’m antsy, Zane.”
    “You’re high on exhaustion and Cheetos.”
    “One walk around the block isn’t going to kill any of us.”
    “We don’t know who’s looking for us out there.”
    “Am I allowed to interject an opinion yet?” Julian asked with a frown.
    “No. Shut up,” Ty snapped.
    “We need more information and more sleep before going back out. You can’t just run around blind,” Zane stated, his voice dropping into an angry growl.
    “You’re one to bitch at me about running blind,” Ty muttered as he sat back down with a thump.
    “Ty, put on your big girl panties and stop bitching, okay?” Zane growled, sitting up straighter. Julian noticed one of his hands clutching in and out of a fist. “There’s no way in hell you’re leaving this room tonight.”
    “Guys—” Cameron started. Julian reached out to touch Cameron’s shoulder and stop him. He’d seen discussions like this in his line of work, and they sometimes ended bloody. With these two it seemed prudent to stay out of the argument.
    “No way in hell?” Ty repeated incredulously. “What are you now, the stroll police?”
    “We wait for Cross’ contact and at least wait until dark to go wandering around,” Zane said with finality. “And that’s still a bad idea.”
    Julian cleared his throat. “Really, we won’t hear from him until morning. Until then….” Julian shrugged and trailed off as he tried to gauge the tension between the two men. Zane’s back was ramrod stiff as he sat unmoving, and he hadn’t taken his eyes off Ty. Ty was the exact opposite, antsy and agitated, appearing to be moving even as he sat relatively still.
    Cameron shifted closer to Julian, taking his elbow as he waited for the ensuing fight.
    “I hate it when mother and father fight,” Julian said under his breath.
    “Shut up,” Ty snapped at him, then turned on Zane, who stood to meet him. “Sit down, take a bubble bath or something. I need to take a walk.”
    “God dammit !” Zane lashed out without warning and hit the water bottle, sending it skidding across the carpet and splattering at Julian’s feet. “I’m gonna end up in the fucking madhouse because of you!” He reached out and grabbed Ty’s wrist, pulling him closer. “Loving you is going to make me fucking insane ! I said no, and I mean it!”
    Ty froze. Julian could only see half his face, but he appeared to be staring at Zane, mouth hanging open.
    Julian realized he was doing the same thing. After several heartbeats, Zane closed his eyes and exhaled.
    “I’m sorry. Did you say loving him?” Julian blurted incredulously. He pointed at Ty. “ Him ? You and him ?”
    “Julian….” Cameron tugged on his arm, trying to get him to leave the room, and Julian went along as he continued to gape at them.
    Ty and Zane just stood there, frozen, Zane with his head bowed, Ty staring at him.
    “I did not see that coming,” Julian said to Cameron under his breath.
    “Good to know you can still be surprised,” Cameron whispered. “Now come on.”
    Julian nodded and turned with Cameron, glancing back at their companions. “We’ll just be… somewhere else,” he told them as he reached for the door.
    There was no answer as Julian closed the door behind them.
    “Wow,” Cameron said quietly.
    “Indeed,” Julian murmured. He looked at Cameron speculatively, not sure how to parse the information they’d just been made privy to and not certain what to do now that they had an entire night to themselves.
    Cameron looked back at the door. There wasn’t any